Man nabbed for allegedly molesting dozens of children

More cases of child sexual abuse have come to light, as the Banyumas Police in Central Java have arrested a suspected perpetrator of child sexual abuse following reports from the alleged victims’ parents in Pasirmuncang subdistrict, West Purwokerto district, Banyumas regency. The 30-year-old suspect has been identified using the initials of DS.

The case is similar to the recent case involving suspect Andri Sobari, alias Emon, in Sukabumi, West Java, which caused a public uproar.

Based on preliminary questioning, DS admitted that he had sexually abused 28 boys, aged between 12 and 14.

Banyumas Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Dwiyono told the media on Friday that the arrest of the perpetrator stemmed from claims made by two boys, who reported to their parents that they had been sexually abused by DS. The parents of the victims then lodged reports with the police.

The two children, who live the same village, were molested separately. They were lured by the perpetrator, who gave them Rp 10,000 (S$1.05). After that they were taken for a ride on his bicycle.

“The suspect is still undergoing questioning after we arrested him last night [Thursday evening]. He admitted to having sodomized as many as 28 boys,” Dwiyono told reporters.

According to Dwiyono, the suspect is a family man. Separately, a neighbour of the suspect, Wasto, 19, said that DS preferred partners from the same sex, including children.

“Yes, we, and many others know that he is homosexual. That’s why, when the police asked me, I told them about it,” Wasto said, after giving a witness statement.

According to him, DS often played with the boys in the neighborhood.

“However, I had no suspicion that it was part of deviant sexual behaviour. I just thought he liked children,” said Wasto.

Another neighbour, Sugiono, 64, who was also questioned as a witness by the police said DS “is an iced drink vendor and he sometimes sells cilok [rice flour balls with peanut sauce] from a bicycle”.

“We thought that he was a normal person and liked to play with children,” Sugiono said.

Meanwhile, in Semarang, a fifth grader was reportedly abducted and molested by an unidentified teenager.

“The victim initially left home to go to school on foot. A male then approached her and pretended he wanted to take her to school,” said Semarang Police chief Sr. Comr. Djihartono on Friday.

However, the perpetrator took her to a forested area in Tinjomoyo. “He took her there at 5 a.m. and left her there at around 12 noon. The victim then walked home alone,” said Djihartono.

When she arrived home, her mother was shocked to see blood on her legs and skirt. She later filed a report with the police. The mother said that a day before the incident, on June 6, the alleged perpetrator talked to the girl as she was walking to school.

“We are still looking for the suspect,” said Djihartono.

Earlier in April, Emon was arrested for allegedly molesting more than 100 children from his village who were aged between 8 and 11. Some of the victims suffered injuries to their anuses. The police reported that none of victims had contracted sexually transmitted infections.